April 5, 2006

Golf Team Avidly Tracks the Professionals

By | April 5, 2006

With the 70th Masters Tournament approaching this weekend, one would imagine that the Cornell men’s golf team would be plopped in fornt of the television, their eyes glued to the screen.

“Man, I’m so mad,” said senior co-captain Andy Sliwa. “This is the fourth year in a row we’ll be playing on Masters weekend. I mean, [head] coach [Matt Baughn] has an XM radio for the car, but it’s just not going to do it justice. It’s an amazing event to watch. Just looking at the flowers and the perfect, green grass, it’s incredible.”

Unfortunately, picturesque Augusta National, where the tournament is held every year, will be availible to the golfers only in SportsCenter clips. The team will spend their weekend walking the course at Yale for the Yale Invitational. Nonetheless, the golfers all agree that the Masters really is a “tradition unlike any other,” as those CBS commercials pound in to viewer’s heads.

“I just love the fact that it’s the only major with a consistent home,” said sophomore Robbie Fritz. “That gives it a very special, comfortable feeling.”

“It’s just the theme song, and the whole down south thing,” said Sliwa, the Owego, NY native. “It really gives you the feeling that spring is approaching. I’m a huge Masters fan. I have like five of them on tape at home. You can’t beat the back nine on Sunday.”

But can the course, made in a time when driving the ball 300 yards was still an accomplishment, keep up with the improving technology, and more athletic golfers? Not according to the United States Golf Association (USGA). For the past decade, and even more so this year, the course has been altered to accomedate the increased power of the PGA Tour.

“They’re just ruining the integrity of Augusta National,” Fritz said. “The changes just make it loose that specialness. I think a lot of the players feel the same way too.”

A little less adament, junior Greg Peterson still protests the changes to the aging course.

“I don’t like the changes, but the equipment is making courses all over obsolete,” Peterson said. “At some point the USGA should make heavier restrictions on technology.”

“Garbage,” Sliwa said. “The changes are garbage. Technology is ruining the game of golf. The USGA is going to have to set the bar on technology and stop raising it. I just wish the metal driver was never invented. The game was more pure back when golf was just a block of wood and a ball. They’re making unecessary changes to something that was so perfect already.”

Regardless, all the golfers will be rooting hard when the historic back nine, immortalized by countless showdowns over the decades, rolls around Sunday afternoon. However, they will not all necessarily be pulling for the same people.

“I really like Colin Montgomery,” Peterson said of the native Brit. “Not many Americans like him, but he’s the best player to never win a major. He’s getting old too, around 40, so hopefully he will win one soon.”

Peterson also pointed out that Montgomery reminded him of himself.

“The guys are really going to kill me for saying this, but I really like his swing. It’s very slow and not mechanical at all. He swings so funny you would never guess he was a golfer. The other guys hate his swing, but I like it because I call myself a field golfer, meaning I try and think about the target and not the swing. Looking at that guy’s swing, you’ve got to imagine he’s thinking of something other than the technicalities of the swing.”

Having a favorite player resemble oneself is something most of Peterson’s teammates echoed.

“It’s really important as far as improvement to pick a player with simialr build and look to yourself,” Fritz said. “That’s why I like Luke Donald. I also like David Toms, though. He’s just so easy going on the course. He doesn’t let bad shots bother him, he just moves on. That’s something I respect.”

Going one step beyond finding a golfer modled after himself, Sliwa looks to a golfer who resembles the whole team.

“Sergio Garcia is just like the team here,” Sliwa said. “If he could just put some putts in, he would be amazing. I also like how he loves to play with the crowd. Personality wise, though, I really like Justin Leonard. He has such a cool demeanor on the course. I met him when I was really young so he’s always been one of my favorites.”

Interestingly enough, not one of the golfers mentioned media darling Tiger Woods, perhaps one of the most recognizable athletes in the world.

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With a mix of the sax, clarinet, violin, drums, bass, keyboard, and electronics, this duo combines loops and heavy beats that take you on a psychedelic ride out of this world.

Even with its futuristic and robotic beats, the strong synthesized rhythms, melodies and narrative form has an orchestral feel that makes this indie rock band quite different from anyone else.

Most of the songs follow a common pattern and have the same feel although it is still clear that some of the songs are better than others, such as the fourth song, “Predator.” Another stand-out is the first track “Dog Dog Camel” which features incredible falsettos harmonies and complex horn arrangements. Yet even its hits and misses, the album’s surreal feel will make you all get up and move your feet.
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ByApril 6, 2006

The Sun has confirmed that this year’s Slope Day performances will include the talented pianist and songwriter Ben Folds and the lyrically gifted hip-hop MC Talib Kweli. The rising indie band Acceptance will open.

Folds is best known for his work with bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee in the band Ben Folds Five. With that Chapel Hill trio, Folds released a series of instant classics including Naked Baby Photos and Whatever and Ever Amen. After the band broke up due to reported divergent musical interests in November 2001, Folds pursued a successful career beginning with the more the slightly resigned Rockin’ the Suburbs. Although Folds’s music seems to sorely miss the backbone of his former trio, he is still known to put on an incredibly lively show that includes antics like showing up drunk, encouraging audience three-part harmony and throwing a piano stool at a mint Yamaha piano.

An unlikely compliment is the veteran underground M.C. Talib Kweli. A native of Brooklyn, Talib Kweli might be most easily recognized as Mos Def’s partner in the incredible hip-hop project Blackstar and their legendary title album released in 1998. Although far from commercially popular, Kweli’s solo releases, Reflection Eternal, Quality, which includes the single “Get By,” and most recently The Beautiful Struggle are highly critically acclaimed for their thoughtful social commentary.

“Acceptance has really shown great promise,” said Bellante. “And it is on the urge of breaking.”

Gates are set to open at noon, with Acceptance playing at 1:30 p.m. and Talib Kweli kicking off at 2:45 p.m. Ben Folds is set to take the stage at 4:30 p.m.

All Cornellians have free admission with their Cornell I.D., and guest tickets will be available for $25 each starting April 19. Students may purchase up to two guest tickets.

The official Slope Day announcement is due to be made today at the Student Assembly meeting at 4:45 p.m. in the Straight Memorial room.